


Home Again

by orphan_account



Category: Night In The Woods (Video Game)
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 19:06:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18857239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Mae and her friends have been through a lot since she got back from college. After everything that had happened, she needs Gregg more than anyone else.





	Home Again

The sunlight streams in through Mae’s bedroom window as the sun slowly rises over the insignificant little town called Possum Springs. It may be of no importance in the grand scheme of things but to Mae and her friends, it was home.

She opens her eyes and stretches. It’s another day of weird shit. She reaches for her other boot that she had kicked off last night, always in the same place. She looks around her room. Her bass guitar sits there. She hasn’t played it much since she came home from college. That might change after things go back to normal. Random crap that she found in the flooded tunnel when she went on a boat with this random dude. An axe, a horn, a coconut monkey… It was awesome stuff at the time but honestly, why does she still have it? Whatever, it gives the room character.

Gregg and Bea are at work as usual. Snack falconing and pick-axing again. Angus is also at work but they don’t message a lot so she just finds out when she gets there. It’s fine though, she’s not as close to him as to the others.

“Morning, sweetie. How did you sleep?” Candy seems happy this morning. Maybe the vague stress has gone for now.

Mae jumps up onto the kitchen counter with a huff. _I wish I was taller,_ she thinks grumpily. “Hey, mom. I feel tired but I felt like I slept forever. I don’t know…”

“We’ve all had a tough week. It will be over soon.”

“I know. Whatcha reading?”

“Murder mysteries again.”

“Nice. Well, I’m off.” Mae slides off the counter, ready to leave.

“Have fun, sweetie. Love you!”

“Love you too.”

Getting out in the fresh air always does her good. Seeing the same people walking down the streets gives Mae a comforting feeling. It isn’t all shapes here, there are people with lives and feelings. She knows almost everyone here. She made the right choice coming back home. She is tempted to walk on the power lines again but Aunt Mall Cop is nearby and she doesn’t want to get told off. It’s a shame, she wanted to see more dusk stars with Mr Chazakov up on the roof. She could knock on the front door but that’s too boring!

“Hey, Mae,” Selmers calls out. She always sits in the same place on the steps so she’s easy to spot.

“What’s up, Selmers?!”

“You doing okay?”

“Yeah, just some weird shit going on right now.”

“I heard about that kid getting taken after Harfest. Messed up. Wanna hear a poem?”

“Sure!”

“Autumn winds.  
Autumn sins.  
Autumn times.  
Autumn crimes.”

“Nice,” Mae says. “I love fall.

“It’s my favourite season,” Selmer nods.

“Well, it was nice talking to you!”

“Later.”

Mae continues to walk down towards Snack Falcon. Of course, she wants to talk to Bea. They had become closer after everything that had happened since she returned, especially after beating the shit out of Clanky the furnace. But she needs Gregg right now.

“Hey, duder!” Gregg grins, his usual energetic self up and ready for anything. This dude is made for retail, even if he denies.

“Hey, Gregg.”

“Want a soda? I’m so bored. The shop’s been empty for almost an hour.”

“Uh, sure. Why not?”

Mae pays for a drink and she stands, slurping out of the straw. “I’m not surprised that no one’s here. This stuff is nasty.”

“Yeah. I hate it too. I think everyone does.”

“Oh well. At least I get paid to sell people crap.”

Gregg laughs. “I’ve missed you.”

Mae shakes her head, smiling. “I’ve already been back almost a week.”

“I know. It just hit me again, ya know?”

She nods. “Totally.”

She finishes the last of her soda and glances at the trash can a few metres away. “Bet that I can get this in the first try?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Mae squints her eyes at him. “You were supposed to say no.”

“Eh. I know you will. You have good aim.”

“Thanks, dude,” she smiles sheepishly.

“Don’t mention it.”

She readies herself. She bounces on her feet a bit, feeling the adrenaline, even though this isn’t really a big deal. She can do this. It’s not even that far away. She puts one foot back and chucks the can, hoping that it will go in. It bounces on the edge of the trash can and Gregg gasps for dramatic effect. And it goes in! Mae throws her arms in the air and she grins.

“YESSSSSS! THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“AWOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!” Gregg jumps up and down, getting caught up easily in the excitement.

“High five, bro!”

He high fives Mae across the counter and they both grin at each other.

“I don’t know why I made such a big deal out of this,” Mae shrugs. “Oh well. It was cool.”

“It was so cool, dude.”

“Thanks, Gregg. You’re awesome.”

“Awww, Mar.”

Gregg walks around to the front of the counter, glad to have an excuse to actually move around for a bit. “Mind if we hug? This seems a pretty good time to do it.”

“Uhhh… Mae and Gregg have never really hugged before. They’ve got emotional a few times but never hugged. She never really noticed that before until Gregg offered. “Sure.”

She didn’t know why she said yes but once they were hugging, she knew she had made the right decision. Possum Springs was her home and she would always be grateful for this place, even though no one ever had any phone signal. But the people she had met here, they were more important than the place itself. Gregg, most of all. They had been friends for years. It had been so long that they’d lost count so she cares for him a lot and vice versa. So, being in his arms made her feel so safe like no one could hurt her. She would feel too embarrassed to say this though so she opted for something else instead.

“This is nice,” Mae laughs. “But can we stop now? It’s getting awkward.”

“Yeah.”

They stand there for a couple of seconds, not knowing exactly what to do.

“Uh… so wanna go to band practice?”

Mae thinks for a moment then smiles. “Hell yeah, I do.”


End file.
